Grip for coal-cars.



No. 939,994. Patented Nov. 14, |899. M. JoLuFFE.

GRIP FOR CDAL CARS.

(Application led Mar. 1, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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v Nrrn STATES MORGAN JOIJLIFFE, OF UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.'

GRIP Foa COAL-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,904, dated November154, 189.

Application ne@ March 1. 1399. serial No. 707.303. (No model.)

T0 t'ZZ wil/0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORGAN .IoLLIFFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Grip for Coal-Cars, ofwhich the following is a specication.

The invention relates to improvements in grips for coal-cars.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve theconstruction of grips for mining-cars and to increase their durabilityand efficiency and at the same time enable them to be operated withgreater rapidity than heretofore in engaging and releasing a cable.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a gripping device ofthis character which will aord substantially a rigid connection betweena cable and a car in the line of draft to enable cars to be hauled bothup and down hill and which will be capable of yielding laterally toadaptitself to the position of a carand a cable when passing around acurve and the like.

Another obj ect of the invention is to enable a cable to be firmlygripped and to provide a device which can be quickly adj usted forengaging cables of different diameters.

Furthermore, the invention has for its object to provide a device whichwill enable any of its parts when worn to be readily renewed withoutdiscarding the rest of the construction.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructedin accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view illustrating the connection between the operating-leverand the gear-Wheel, the former being out of engagement with the hub ofthe latter. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the body portion ofthe movable jaw, the removable face-plate or section being detached.Fig. 6 is a similar View of the removable faceplate or section of themovable jaw.

Like numerals of reference designate cori responding parts in all thegures of the drawi ings.

l designates a frame or body having a rel movable plate 2 and forming aguide or casing for the shank 3 of a movable jaw 4, which co operateswith a stationary or iixed jaw 5 of the frame or casing. The Xed orstationary jaw 5, which is located at the bottom of the frame or body,extends longitudinally thereof and projects laterally from the same, thesaid frame or body consisting of a heavy plate, as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings. In order to enable the fixedor stationary plate to be readily renewed should it become worn, it isprovided with a removable face-plate or section 6, having a dovetailedlug or shank 7 fitting in a dovetailed recess 8 of the body portion ofthe jaw, and the removable section or face-plate is secured to the frameor body by a transverse fastening device 9, passing through the partsand consisting of a bolt or rivet.

The movable jaw is provided with a corresponding detachable face-plateor section 10, having a dovetailed lug 11 arranged at the inner face ofthe jaw and terminating short ofthe outer face thereof and tting in acorresponding recess 12 of the same, and when the movable jaw is inposition the lug 11 will be disposed toward the inner face of the frameor body and will be securely held against accidental displacement.

The movable jaw has a concave engaging face extending entirely acrossit, and the stationary or fixed jaw is provided at its engaging facewith a flat outer portion and a narrow rope-receiving groove arranged atits inner portion and forming a central edge or rib located opposite theconcave engaging face of the movable jaw. By this construction thedevice is adapted to engage cables o f different diameters, and there isno liability of a cable slipping between the jaws.

The removable plate 2, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the bodyor frame at 15, is provided with rectangularbends to form a rectangularopening for the reception of the shank 3 of the movable jaw, and thesaid shank is provided with a slot or opening 16, extendinglongitudinally oi' it and having recesses 17in its walls for thereception of a nut IOO 18, which is located near the upper end of theshank andn which has its threaded opening disposed centrally of the slotor opening and receiving a screw 19. The nut is detachable, and thescrew, which is swiveled to the frame or body, as hereinafter described,is adapted to be rotated to open and close the jaws and to set the samefor gripping cables of different diameters. The screw is provided at itsupper end with an enlargement or head having a pinion 20 and annularlygrooved below the same at 21 to engage a recess or opening 22 of ahorizontal iiange 23, extending laterally from the top of the frame orbody. The threaded engagement of the screw with the nut retains thegrooved head in the recess or opening of the top flange of the frame orcasing, and when the angularly-bent plate is removed the screw may bereadily detached from the iange of the frame or body.

rlhe pinion 20, which is beveled, meshes with a vertical bevelgear-wheel 24, journaled on a spindle or stub-shaft 25, which is mountedon a vertical extension 2G of the frame or body. The bevel gear-wheel isprovided with an inwardly-extending hub 27, having an annular series ofsockets 28, which are adapted to be engaged by a lug or projection 20 ofan operating-lever 30, and the latter' has a slotted connection with thestub-shaft or spindle to enable the lug to be readily engaged with anddisengaged from a socket of the gear-wheel. The inner end of theoperatinglever is enlarged, as shown, and the enlarged portion, which isrecessed at one side to receive the hub, is provided with a longitudinalslot 31, through which the shaft or spindle passes. When the projectionor lng of the lever is disengaged from the hub of the gearwheel, thelatter may be rotated independent of the lever to set the jaws forengaging cables of different diameters. After the jaws have been set toreceive a cable the latter will be securely clamped by swinging thelever from one side of the device to the other, and the operator mayreadily release a car from the cable without leaving his seat byswinging the lever with his foot. The operating-lever by being fnlcrumedat one end operates in the nature of a weight or gravitylock to retainthe movable jaw in its engaging position, as the weight of the levermust be lifted in order to release the jaw. The lever is detachablysecured to the shaft or spindle by a washer S32-and a split key 33, andthe stub-shaft or spindle is detachably mounted on the verticalextension of the body or frame by means of a key or other suitablefastening device.

The frame or body is provided with longitudinal extensions 34, extendingforward and rearward and provided at their inner faces with verticaleyes 35, adapted to receive a reversible coupling device 36, consistingof a bar angularly bent between its ends to arrange the same indifferent planes. The inner end 37, which is rounded, is arranged in theeye to swivel the coupling device to the frame or body, and itisprovided with a shoulder 3S and is threaded at 39 to receive a nut 40,whereby the con plin g device is detachably secured to the said eye. Theouter end 42, which is located above the inner end, is flattened andbifurcated to receive the draw-bar of a car, and it is provided with acouplingpin perforation, in which is arranged a coupling-pin 43,preferably connected with the coupling device by a short chain toprevent it from being lost. The coupling device is adapted to betransferred from one end of the device to the other to make the lattereither right or left hand, and the swivel connection permits thecoupling device and the frame or body to swing laterally on each otherto conform to the positions of a car and the cable when the latter ispassing around a curve, and the said connection is perfectly in line ofthe draft, so that cars may be drawn equally well up and down hill.

The body is provided at one side with a hook-shaped handle 44, adaptedto be arranged at either end ofthe grip, similar to the coupling device,the latter being mounted on one of the longitudinal extensions and thehandle on the other. The handle or grip assists in enabling the operatorto engage the device with a cable and disengage it therefrom, and italso provides means for hanging the grip on the upper edge of a car-bodywhen it is not in use.

Theinvention has the following advantages: The grip, which is simple andcomparatively inexpensive in construction, is positive and reliable inoperation, and while it forms a rigid connection between a ca'r and acable in the line of the draft to enable cars to be hauled equally aswell downhill as uphill it is also capable of a lateral twisting orswivel movement to accommodate itself to the positions of a cable and acar in passing around curves and the like. The jaws are readily adjustedto adapt the device for gripping ropes of different diameters, and theparts when worn or otherwise injured may be readily replaced at a smallcost without discarding the rest of the device. The device is quicklyoperated to connect the car with a cable and uncouple it therefrom, andit may be operated in releasing a car by the foot of Va person withoutnecessitating his leaving his position.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantagesof this invention.

Vhat is claimed is- 1. A device of the class described comprising aframe or bodyhavinga lixed jaw, a movable jaw, means for operating thesame, and a coupling device provided with means for engaging thedraw-bar of a car and havinga IOO IIO

'swivelconnection with the frame or body, said swivel connection beingrigid in the line of the draft and permitting the coupling device andthe frame or body to move laterally on each other, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body, xed andmovable jaws, means for operating the same, and a coupling device havinga swivel connection with the frame or body and arranged to turnlaterally thereon, said coupling device being provided with means forengaging the drawhead of a car substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprisinga frame or body having aiixed jaw, a movable jaw mounted on the frame or body, means foroperating the same, and a coupling device having one end bifurcated toreceive the drawbar of a car, and having its other end swiveled to theframe or body, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body having afixed jaw and provided at its ends with eyes, a movable jaw mounted onthe frame or body, means for operating the movable jaw, and a couplingdevice detachably swiveled in one 'of the eyes, and adapted to betransferred to the other eye, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body having afixed jaw, a movable jaw mounted on the frame or body, means foroperating the movable jaw, and a reversible coupling device provided atits outer end with a coupling-pin to engage the draw-bar of a car andswiveled to the frame or body and adapted to be arranged at either endthereof, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body havingaixed jaw, a movable jaw mounted on the frame or body, means foroperating the movable jaw, and a coupling device having a straightportion adapted to be coupled to the draw-bar of a car, and a handleforming a grip and being hook-shaped, whereby the device is adapted tobe hung on the body of a car, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

7. A device of the class described comprising a frame or bodyhaving aixed jaw, a movable jaw, a screw mounted on the frame or body andadapted to actuate the movable jaw, an operating-lever, and gearingconnecting the operating-lever with the screw, said operating-leverbeing adapted to carry the movable jaw into and out of engagement withthe cable, and capable of holding such jaw in its engaging position,substantially as described.

8. A device of the class described comprising aframe or body having afixed jaw, a movable jaw, a screw mounted on the frame or body andengaging the movable jaw, a lever, and gearing connecting the lever withthe screw, said lever being arranged to be disengaged from the gearingto permit the screw to be operated independently of it to set the devicefor cables of different diameters, substantially as described.

9. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body having afixed jaw, a movable jaw having a slotted shank, a nutdetachablyinterlocked with the shank at the slot thereof, a screwengaging the nut, and means for operating the screw, substantially asdescribed.

10. A device ofthe class described comprising a frame or body having afixed jaw, a movable jaw havinga slotted shank and provided in the wallsof the slot with recesses,a nut detachably arranged in the recesses, ascrew engaging the nut and detachably swiveled to the frame or body, andmeans for operating the screw, substantially as described.

11. Adevice of the class described comprising a frame or body having afixed jaw, a movable jaw mounted on the frame or body and havinga shank,a nut detachably mounted on the shank, a flange extending from the frameor body and having a recess or opening, a screw engaging the nut andhaving a grooved head interlocked with the said flange, and providedwith a pinion, and a gear meshingwith the pinion,substantiallyasdescribed.

12. Adevice of the class described comprising a frame or body having aiixed jaw, a movable jaw mounted on the frame or body, a screw engagingthe movable jaw and having a pinion, a gear meshing with the pinion, anda lever detachably interlocked with the gear, adapted to rotate thesame, and capable of releasing the gear to permit an independen'trotation of the screw, substantially as described.

13. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body having afixed jaw, a movable jaw, a screw engaging the movable jaw and carryinga pinion, a gear meshing with the pinion and having a hub provided withsockets, and a lever having a slotted connection with the device andprovided with a lug or projection adapted to engage the sockets of thehub,substantially as described.

14. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body portionprovided with a fixed or stationary jaw having a dovetailed recess 8, aremovable face-plate having a dovetailed lug fitting in the said recess,a fastening device passing through the lug and securing the face-plateto the stationary or fixed jaw, a movable jaw provided with a dovetailedrecess 12 extending from its inner face and terminating short of itsouter face, and a removable face-plate 10 provided at its inner edgewith a dovetailed lug fitting in the recess 12 of the movable jaw andretained therein by the frame or body, substantially as described.

15. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body, and thefixed and movable jaws, one of the jaws being provided with a continuousconcave face extending entirely across it, and the other jaw beingprovided with an inner narrow groove and hav- IOO IIO

ing an outer Het face, whereby the device is adapted to grip acable ofanydiameter, substantially as described.

16. A device of the class described comprising a frame orbody, fixed andmovable jaws, means for operating the same, and a coupling deviceconsisting of tlongitudinztlly-disposed bar swiveled at its inner end tothe frame or body and having its outer end bifurcated to receive thedrew-bar of :t car and perforated for the reception of the coupling-pin,substantially as described.

17. A device of the class described comprising a frame or body, a.coupling device for Mo'RGAN JoLLIFF.

'Vitnesses: n JOHN P. KANE, C. H. SEATON.

